Author Comments

This has been the most difficult film I have ever made, because its meaning is very true to my soul. For too much of my life I have been a mindless consumer of time. Hopelessly placing value in things that never gave an ounce of value back. Now that I am older, I worry endlessly that this new generation is making the same mistakes I now deeply regret.

In the end, I hope my message is honest and clear. Whether you agree with me or not, please share you thoughts, spark meaningful discussions, and share this film with everyone you know.

Special thanks to all those who have been my strength - and to all of you for taking a moment to open your minds =)

Rated 5 / 5 stars2012-03-18 01:00:50

Rated 4 / 5 stars2012-03-16 19:11:22

I'm insulted, and not for the reason you might think.

First off, I can agree with most of your points, but you're not specifying your audience. Not everyone who is a gamer has that problem. In fact, very few do. At least, this is what I've noticed from myself and my gamer friends. We never reject "real life", nor think that video games are anything beyond games. What kind of person would? They're just another form of entertainment. Do people freak out when they realize that they spend a large amount of time reading? No. It's entertainment. Books are full of stories, characters, and events that we love. We might find ourselves wishing that those adventures never end, or that we could do the same things as the heroes and villains. But the vast majority of us know that this simply cannot be. The exact same thing applies for video games.

Now let me tell you why I'm personally insulted. You assume that simply being alone makes you miserable and that no one enjoys it. You have claimed that in order to properly "enjoy life", you either have to game with lots of people, or not at all. A lot of people think along similar lines. But this is false; terribly so. A number of people, including myself (hence the personal insult), are not social people. Introverts, people with Schizoid Personality Disorder, and other likes them simply do not feel comfortable, at rest, or happy when in social instances. That's why we think our lives are great by reading, playing video games, or other solitary activities. We still have friends, and we don't destroy our lives.

What I'm trying to say is, you need to say what audience you are preaching to. Your message, while admirable, is just too biased, one-sided, and insulting to some. You really need to say that this is for those who were addicted. I've achieved enlightenment on something as well, so I can understand your fervency, should it exist. But mine was on perspectives. Everyone will view something differently. Everyone will not believe everyone else or accept them if they try to make them see their perspective. I know this sounds obvious, but that's because I can't exactly explain what I was enlightened on. That defeats the purpose of enlightenment.

I'm not rating you down just because I disagree and am upset about what you're preaching. Your animation was good, the sound quality superb, and you presented your information quite well.

Rated 3.5 / 5 stars2012-03-05 14:56:31

Cool story bro. I've felt similarly at various times throughout my life. you have to understand that at some point you started playing games for a reason. Mine was that real life sucked. Once i got to a certain age though, i realized that i had a degree of control over the way my life would progress. It is difficult as the first generation dealing with virtual achievements and moderating our time spent playing video games.
You are not alone though, as exemplified in the PAX shout-out toward the end of your film. Part of social interaction is shared experience, and so many of our peers have lived their childhoods and early adult lives in much the same manner as you describe. I agree with a lot of what you said, and I'm sorry you feel like it took so long to come to this realization. Take heart in the fact that you have identified this problem and have taken steps to deal with it. Your life is far from over.
Although many immature viewers will see this as an attack on video games a la Jack Thompson, it is really about what we choose to devote our finite time toward, be it relationships, skill-building, or other leisure activities. Taking the time to create a film like this is an actual achievement and you should be proud. Please continue to produce increasingly well thought out and developed projects like this one.

Rated 0.5 / 5 stars2012-02-23 10:43:45

Sanctimonious, melodramatic, and phenomenally pretentious. The animation is adequate, hence my award of half a star. Yes, âEU~over-gamingâEUTM can have negative consequences, but the presumption that ANY attempt to play a video game without some real-life social aspect is wrong, is just inane âEU" who are you to say that, for example, playing Skyrim in single-player mode constitutes a waste of a personâEUTMs life? You are you to determine value in what other people do? Who are you to say that the ONLY thing of value, the ONLY truly worthwhile endeavour in human life, is the dogged pursuit of popularity?
To quote Shakespeare, âEUoeTo gild refined gold, to paint the lily, to throw a perfume on the violet, to smooth the ice, or add another hue. Unto the rainbow, or with taper-light, to seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish, is wasteful and ridiculous excessâEU. Games are virtuous in their own right âEU" they provide entertainment and escapism for those who want it. To decry such activities are a waste of human life is to decry the lily as insufficiently colourful. Yes, gaming conventions are wonderful things and bring people together, which is a good activity in itself, but it isnâEUTMt the only worthwhile activity.
IsnâEUTMt it enough, just enough, to enjoy games for their own sake? You found that, after thirty years of gaming, you were overweight and divorced âEU" is it really justified to blame this on gaming, or is it a convenient scape-goat for your own failings? If your excessive gaming drove your wife (or husband) away, whose fault is that? If your sedentary lifestyle diminished your health, whose fault is that? In the end, the answer is obvious: you are to blame. You lambaste the culture of lonely gaming, but in reality you have no one to blame but yourself. Without games, youâEUTMd blame TV. Without TV, youâEUTMd blame alcohol. Without any sort of luxury, youâEUTMd blame the government. Scape-goats, every one, for your own self-destructive behaviour.
In short, your diatribe is at best an insult to everyone who doesnâEUTMt rabidly aspire to popularity, and at worst just an embarrassing glimpse into your own self-loathing.